I N T E L L I G E N T T E C H N O L O G Y ENERGY

A procurement process is currently being finalised for the development of the first energy-efficient data centre, which will bring up to £ 300 million of investment into the Fylde coast.

Following the formal competitive exercise under the Procurement Act 2023, the council intends to award the contract to HOCHTIEF Data Centre Partner UK( HOCHTIEF DCPUK) who submitted the most advantageous tender. This decision is now subject to a mandatory standstill period and final governance approvals prior to formal contract award. Further details will be shared once the process has concluded.

The provisional agreement would mean that the investment, construction and running costs would be entirely met by the private sector, following Blackpool

Council and Lancashire Combined County Authority’ s previous work and funding to assemble the land.

The new data centre will form the first phase of Silicon Sands, a new business park designed to attract technology and digital companies to the area, creating new, well-paid jobs for residents.

Outline planning permission has already been granted for the sustainabilityfocused data centre along with a 20,000sqft office and research space, with a 6MW electrical supply offer from SP Electricity North West.

Silicon Sands has the potential to support thousands of high-value jobs across the region both directly and indirectly, through investment in AI data infrastructure, renewable energy and innovation-led growth.

Silicon Sands will also lead the way in making the entire data industry more environmentally friendly. The data centres will be powered by renewable energy, use closed-loop liquid cooling to improve efficiency and create a local heating network to reuse the heat as an energy source for other properties.

The location for Silicon Sands, Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, also has access to substantial power infrastructure. This includes an additional 32MVA primary substation currently under construction by SP Electricity North West, plans for on-site solar power and future opportunities to connect to renewable energy sources such as offshore wind farms in the Irish Sea.

“ This is a huge step forward for the future of Blackpool and showing the UK that data centres can create jobs and also tackle the climate emergency,” said Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’ s Cabinet Member for Economy and Built Environment.

“ Silicon Sands is a transformational opportunity not just for Blackpool, but for Lancashire as a whole. It has the potential to attract significant investment, create thousands of well-paid jobs and establish our region as a leader in sustainable digital infrastructure,” he continued. �

32 www. intelligentdatacentres. com